Writing as a Cognitive Process and Learning Tool in Elementary Science Education

Yıl 2009, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 200 - 211, 01.03.2009

Murat Günel

Öz

The action of writing has been subject of several empirical and theoretical studies in the
areas of linguistic, psychology and literacy. Not only writing as a cognitive process is considered to be
leaning, but also it has been adopted and used as learning and scaffolding mechanism by different
disciplines such as science education. Research on language and learning in the science content area has
emphasized the use of writing as a powerful learning tool (Keys, 1999b). Moving away from teaching
traditional scientific genres, which emphasize the need for students to learn micro and macro structures of
the genres of science writing to be able to understand science, researchers have focused more on
expressive and creative writing that promotes meaningful learning in science. Especially in the area of
elementary science education there has been growing number of reform movements and research studies
that emphasize the significance of writing as a learning tool.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Writing, Writing to learn, science literacy, primary science education

Bilişsel Süreç ve İlköğretim Bilim Eğitiminde Öğrenme Aracı Olarak Yazma

Öz

1ÖZET Yazma eyleminin bili.sel ve psikolojik olarak içerdi i süreçler pek çok ara.t,rmac,n,n ilgisini çekmi. ve yine birçok ara.t,rmaya konu olmu.tur. Beretier ve Scardamalia (1987) gibi dil bilimci psikologlar yazmay, var olan “bilgiyi söyleme” ve “bilgiyi dönü.türme” modellerini geli.tirerek aç,klamaya çal,.m,.lard,r. Bilgiyi söyleme modelinde, gerekli olan bilgi uzun sureli haf,zadan al,narak yaz,ya dönü.türülmektedir. Bilgi dönü.türme modeline göre ise bilgi dönü.türmeye aktif bir problem çözümü arac,l,k etmektedir. Problem çözme esnas,nda yazar,n var olan iki kayna , aktif olarak etkile.im halindedir. Bunlar, alan bilgisi (content space) ve dil bilgisidir (linguistic space). Var olan kavramlardan ho.nutlu un olmad, , durumlarda bu iki alan,n etkile.mesiyle yeni bilgiler haz,rlan,rve yazar konu hakk,nda yeni bir ö reti geli.tirir. Sonraki y,llarda Galbraith, (1999) problem çözme modelinin yazma sürecinin içeri ini aç,klamada yüzeysel kald, ,n, iddia etmi.tir. Ayr,ca problem çözme metaforunun yazma surecinde ö renme gerçeklemesi durumunu aç,klayamad, ,n, savunmu.tur. Ona göre, incelenmesi gereken en temel unsurlardan birisi bilginin saklanma-depolanma .eklidir. Bilgi cümleler halinde y, ,larak de il, semantic bir a ile zihnin her yerinde, di er olgularla ba da.t,r,larak saklan,r. Ve her hangi bir bilgiyi ça ,rd, ,m,zda-aktive etti imizde pek çok farkl, domain bu aktivasyona kar.,l,k verir. Yazma esnas,nda ise yaz,lacak konu, dinleyici kitlesi, yazma format,, içerik ve pek çok di er unsurlar aktivasyonun içeri ini ve s,n,rlar,n, belirler. Ayr,ca, yarat,lan her bir aktivasyon sonucu üretilen yaz, yeni bir girdi olarak yepyeni aktivasyon döngüleri olu.turur. S,n,rl,klar ve farkl, aktivasyonlar yeni ö renmeleri sa lar. Yazmay, bir ö renme mekanizmas, olarak tan,mlayan linguistic ve psikoloji alanlar,ndaki teorik ve empirik çal,.malar,n etkileri e itim bilimlerinde de kendini göstermi.tir. Pek çok dal yazmay, müfredat,n,n içerisine alm,.t,r, fakat yazman,n amac, konusunda çeli.kiler do mu.tur. Örne in, bilim e itimi alan,ndaki baz,ara.t,rmac,lar, Halliday ve Martin (1993), bilim e itiminde yazman,n bilimsel söylemler (rapor tutma, gözlem kay,tlar, vb.) içerisinde gerçekle.mesini savunmu.lard,r. Öte yandan, Alvermann (2004), Gee (2004), Prain ve Hand (2005), and Yore ve Treagust (2006) gibi ara.t,rmac,lar yazman,n geleneksel s,n,rlar,n d,.,nda bir formatta olup, hem ilkö retim ö rencilerinin günlük dilleri ile bilimsel dili ba da.t,racak yap,ya sahip olmas, gerekti ini savunmu.lar, hem de geleneksel olmayan yazma aktivitelerinin kullan,lmas,n,n bilimsel kavramlar, ö renmede faydal, bir metot oldu unu vurgulam,.lard,r. Bu görü.ün temsilcileri yazarak ö renme aktiviteleri ö rencilerin kabul gören standart bilimsel bilgilere eri.melerine yüreklendiren, ö rencilerin epistemolojik inançlar,n,, ve ak,l yürütme stratejilerini bilimin do as, iskeleti etraf,nda vücuda getiren ve ö rencilerin bilimsel kavramlar, ö renmesinde yukar,da sözü geçen ö eleri entegre eden bir araç olarak benimsemi.ler ve bu alanda çal,.malarda bulunmu.lard,r. Dünyan,n pek çok ülkesinde ilkö retim bilim e itimi dâhil, müfredat,n bir parças, olan ö renme amaçl,yazma ülkemizde henüz yeterince gündeme al,nmam,.t,r. Gerek müfredat,n içeri i gerekse bilim e itimi ara.t,rmalar,n,n gündemini me.gul etmeyen ö renme amaçl, yazma aktiviteleri bizler için ke.fedilmeyi bekleyen yeni olgulard,r. Türk e itim sisteminde hedeflenen amaçlardan biri olan “bilimsel okuryazarl, , geli.tirme” ve anlaml, bilim ö renmeyi destekleme ad,na ö renme amaçl, yazma ara.t,rmalar, ülkemiz ara.t,rmac,lar,na yeni ufuklar açabilir

Anahtar Kelimeler

Yazma, ö renme amaçl, yazma, bilimsel okur yazarl, k, ilkö retim fen e itimi

Kaynakça

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